That's What Happens When You're Low Man on the Totem Pole
by TXMedic
Summary: A post-ep one-shot from Get a Clue. Kevin Ryan seemed a little put-out with Beckett's orders in Get a Clue. Maybe he's not ready to go back to being the low man on the totem pole.


_Get a Clue post ep one-shot. Castle belongs to ABC and Marlowe, not me. The lines from the episode belong to the ep's writer, Christine Roum. Kevin Ryan seemed a little put-out in this episode. Not just from his comment to Esposito, but his tone of voice in response to an order from Beckett at the initial crime scene. This is my attempt to explain both. _

** That's What Happens When You're Low Man on the Totem Pole**

He kept reminding himself that he was glad Beckett was back. And, by extension, Castle. The four had been a team long enough, now, that her brief stint in Washington had left him feeling like he was missing a limb. Grant Sullivan had been a nice addition to the team while Beckett had been gone. Sloppy habits notwithstanding, the guy had been conscientious and eager to impress. Plus, there had been the added bonus of no longer being low man on the totem pole. But, having the four of them back as one unit again was like coming home.

Only, now he was being pushed back into his 'new guy' role. Which, by the way, was even more annoying as Castle was actually the last one to join the team. And wasn't even a cop. Which Beckett was forgetting, it seemed, as the two kept getting into one mess after another. He was starting to worry that one or both was going to end up dead, because Kate took Castle as her backup. And not himself or Esposito...the two guys who actually had guns. And badges.

Pressing down harder than strictly necessary as he filled in blanks on his daily report form, Kevin Ryan grumbled quietly to himself and replayed the conversation from the alley where they'd found the dead woman.

After he and Lanie had filled Beckett and Castle in on the details, Kevin had let his boss know his next step. "All right, I'll start a canvass and start gathering security video. See if I can find someone who witnessed the body drop."

To which Kate had responded, "Yeah and get ahold of the FBI. See if they have any other murders with the same M.O."

Even Kevin was aware that his response sounded a little annoyed. "Yeah. Okay." But, seriously. He, Espo and Sully had managed to solve cases just fine on their own while Kate had been gone. And helped Castle (and, by extension, Kate) solve other puzzles. Even Kate and her super-cop partner had been one step behind the boys in the Too Cool for School murder. Kevin hadn't needed Beckett to tell him to check with the FBI. On a ritualistic murder like the one in the alley, it was a no brainer.

Still, she'd felt the need to tell her junior detective something he already knew. At least, Kevin hoped she knew he was smart enough to figure out that step for himself. Huffing out a breath in annoyance, the detective scribbled his name at the bottom of the form and slapped it down in his outbox. Ryan heard the creak of wheels on hardwood as his partner shifted his chair behind him.

"What's up, bro?"

"Nothing." Kevin didn't bother to turn around. He knew that Esposito didn't have the same nagging resentment that he did. Pulling a folder from his inbox, Kevin flipped it open and tried to relay through body language alone that Javier should just let it go.

For a moment, Kevin thought he'd been successful in warning his partner off. But then sensed Javier twisting his chair around, followed by a soft sigh. "Kevin, I was impressed. Nobody but my partner could track down one stupid cab in all of New York, with nothing to go on but an ad."

Seriously, how did his partner always know what was bothering him? The conversation by the murder board once more played in his head. Kate had wanted to keep their suspect busy while she and Castle tried to debunk the guy's alibi. Her plan for Kevin had bordered on the ridiculous.

"Just to cover our bases, you look into that cab that Wade described."

The younger detective had stared at her in mild disbelief. "Really? You want me to track down a cab off a banner ad for 'Wicked'?"

"Impress me."

Her challenging smile had sawed at a nerve Ryan hadn't even been aware was that raw. He had taken a deep breath and held back his first response, opting for the milder retort for Espo's ears only. "You know, there are times I wish she stayed in D.C."

And, then, when he'd actually managed to track down the cab and started to explain all the avenues he'd had to tread to find it...Esposito had cut him off and asked if he'd spoken to the cabbie. Kevin narrowed his eyes and hunched his shoulders against his partner's stare, once more jabbing his pen at the paper in front of him. "Yeah, you were so impressed that you cut me off in front of Beckett."

A regretful sigh drifted from his partner's direction. "I'm sorry about that, Ryan. You know how I get sometimes, when we can't quite figure a case out. I get impatient. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I know what Beckett was asking you to do was nearly impossible. I meant what I said. Only you could find that cab. Some of the things you come up with amaze me, bro. Seriously."

Kevin's shoulders relaxed minutely. He _did_ know that Javier got antsy when a case stalled. Got frustrated by their lack of direction. With his own sigh, Kevin twisted around in his chair to smile briefly at his partner. "It's okay, Javi. It's not that I expect a pat on the head or something. It's just that I feel like we're taken for granted, you know? And I guess I get tired of being the dogsbody. Maybe I got too used to taking charge, and going back to the way things were...isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

Frowning, Esposito leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Do you really wish she stayed in D.C.?"

Glancing over to his boss' desk to make sure Beckett was still engrossed in her conversation with Castle, Kevin sighed and twisted back around to meet his partner's concerned gaze. "Yes. And, no. We function best as a team of four. You, me, Castle and Beckett. But, I guess I'm just tired of being treated like the green junior detective who doesn't know any better. More than a few cases have been cracked open by the information I've come up with. I know what I'm doing. We both do."

Esposito rubbed a weary hand over his mouth and nodded in tacit agreement. "I get what you're saying, Kevin. I feel the same way, sometimes. I know Castle doesn't mean it, but he often comes across as trying to make us look stupid." Javier smiled toothily, his cheek dimpling. "But, you and I both know who does all the real work around here."

Smiling back at his partner in spite of himself, Kevin reached out to bump fists with Espo. "You got that right. We'll be sure to rub that in, next time we're saving their sorry asses."

"Which shouldn't be long, now, going by their track record."

Snorting in agreement, Kevin turned back around to concentrate on the file in front of him. Once upon a time, he would've been perfectly happy with his role in their unconventional crime-fighting unit. But Kevin Ryan had grown up in the last few years. He was happily married, with a baby on the way. He was no longer satisfied with his kid brother role in the foursome. He wanted to stand on his own two feet and be recognized as an equal.

Looking up once more, watching Castle spin some story for Beckett, Kevin smiled softly at Kate's burst of laughter. She was so much happier since coming back from D.C. One day, he might have to sit down and have a serious heart-to-heart with his boss about his growing need to step out of his low man role. But today wouldn't be that day. He could suck it up for now, if it meant seeing Kate Beckett so happy and content with the status quo.

But, seriously. Could Castle or Beckett have found that stupid cab? No way.

END


End file.
